М. М. Кутепова The World of Chemistry Мир

(a) Provide the text with a title, (b) Divide it into logical parts, (c) Write out key words, (d) Write an abstract to the text.

a) Listen to the following dialogue and say what its subject is: a) inorganic chemistry; b) new chemicals exhibition; c) plastics; d) greenhouse effect.

b) Listen to the questions and answer them choosing the correct answer out of the given ones.
SUSAN: 1 just can’t help thinking of things made from plastics as imitations, as cheap substitutes.
GILES: If by “cheap” you mean less expensive, then you’re quite
right. For example, that new watering can we bought for the garden.
SUSAN: Yes, it did cost less than a metal one.
GILES: Do you remember why we bought it?
SUSAN: I liked the nice bright yellow colour. But you can buy coloured metal ones, too.
GILES: Ah! But with plastics, the colour goes all the way through,
because the pigments are mixed in with raw materials. They don’t have to be painted like metal. And...
SUSAN: Can I interrupt your chemical lecture for a second? It doesn’t matter anyway. The result’s the same!


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GILES:

SUSAN:
GILES:
SUSAN:
GILES:
SUSAN:
GILES:
SUSAN:


GILES:
SUSAN:
GILES:
SUSAN:
GILES:
SUSAN:
GILES:


GILES: MRS. H:


SUSAN:


No, it isn’t. Take a watering can, or a child’s toy, or even
something you use in the kitchen, like your washing-up
bowl. What happens when they’re knocked against some-
thing hard?
You mean if they’re metal?
Yes.
I suppose, after a while the paint becomes chipped. All right,
I see the pojnt. With plastics the colours won’t chip off.
But do you remember another reason why we decided to
buy a new watering can?
Yes, certainly. The old one was so rusty. There were holes in
the bottom... I see. Plastics don’t rust like metal.
Exactly. Are you beginning to feel more kindly towards plas-
tics?
I’ve nothing against them, Giles, but they are used instead
of the original materials, so that makes them substitutes,
doesn’t it?
Do you remember what Mrs. Harvey said?
Who?
The plastics expert, you know, the chemist, in the recording
I made at the exhibition.
Oh, yes.
And, incidentally, my tape recorder wouldn’t be so small or
so light if it weren’t for the fact...
I see what you mean: if it wasn’t made of plastics.
You’re learning. I’ll just run the tape back to the right place.
I think this is where it is. Listen.
(On the tape recorder.)
... people who call them substitutes.
Oh, yes, some still do but they’re quite wrong, Mr. Newton.
Plastics are materials in their own right. Cheapness is not
the only factor that makes them acceptable to industry. Be-
fore it can replace any other material — like wood, metal or
a natural fabric — a plastics material must have a perfor-
mance that is at least comparable to whatever was previously
used.
And 1 suppose sometimes they’re even better.


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MRS. H: Frequently, particularly when the properties of the materials

are adjusted, or even created, to suit the specific require-
ments of the end product.
GILES: What sort of properties?
MRS. H: The degree of rigidity or flexibility, for example: resistance
to acids, insulating qualities, ability to withstand sudden
changes of temperature. Oh, the list is endless because the
plastics industry is being continually asked to recommend or
develop materials for such a wide variety of new uses.
GILES: Do they succeed?
MRS. H: More often than not. In fact, there are so many types of
plastics with so many unique properties, they frequently
provide answers to unsolved engineering problems.
GILES: On behalf of our journal let me express my deepest gratitute
to you, Mrs. Harvey, for such a brilliant explanation.
MRS. H: My pleasure.
(Giles stops the tape recorder.)
GILES: Wfell, Susan?

1. 
   Who are the speakers?
   

1. 
   two students and a professor
   of chemistry
   
2. 
   three research workers
   

2. 
   Why did they buy a new watering
   

1. 
   because Susan liked the colour
   
2. 
   because Giles liked the shape
   

3. 
   Who is Mrs. Harvey?
   

1. 
   a guide
   
2. 
   a plastics expert
   

4. 
   When did they meet Mrs. Harvey?
   

1. 
   at a lecture c) at a plastics factory
   
2. 
   at an exhibition d) while buying a watering can
   

3. 
   a journalist, his wife and a chemist
   
4. 
   three factory workers can?
   
5. 
   because Giles and Susan liked the material
   
6. 
   because Susan likes plastics
   
7. 
   their friend
   
8. 
   their neighbour
   

m

5. 
   What properties of plastics were not mentioned?
   

6. 
   resistance to acids
   
7. 
   hardness
   

8. 
   insulating properties
   
9. 
   ability to withstand sudden
   

changes in temperature

10. 
    What things made from plastics were mentioned?
    

11. 
    threads
    
12. 
    tubes
    

13. 
    toys
    
14. 
    sheets
    

11.